Soccer Begins and a perfect tee

This morning, Mairead had her first soccer game of the season.  She did SO much better at this game than she had in the past.  As in, she stayed at the field complex for the entire time without running away.  The first 30 minutes are for practice and the last 30 are for a game.  She LOVED the practice.  She waited her turn, dribbled the ball, shot on goal, and listened to her coach.  She was excited to play with the other kids and was having a great time.

Once the game started, though, she had a hard time.  The noise of all the parents cheering, the whistle, and the chaos of 20 four year olds kicking one ball was a little much.  She did sit on the sidelines with us and cheer on her team, though.  Her team is The Sharks so I told her she could yell, "Go Sharks!"  She shouted, "Go Sharks!  Go Dolphins!"  No idea where the dolphins came from, but she thought it was fun!

Her coach did a great job with the kids and made sure they all had fun with the game.

This kid, Calvin, is a superstar.  He is seriously amazing- incredible natural talent.  And, he is super cute, too.

Since I took Mairead's picture on the first day of school, she now expects me to take her picture every day before the bus comes.  I was happy to take this one since this t-shirt is pretty much perfect for her.  It says, "Everyone loves me just the way I am."  And it's true... we do!

First Day of School

Yesterday was a big day for Mairead- her first day of school!  She was excited to go and was all smiles while getting ready.  She is in the same class she was in last year, and even has the same teacher.  She loves Mrs. M, and we know that she is in good hands with her.  She practically ran to the car and was jumping up and down like a nut when Mrs. M came to the door.  It was so great to see her excited about school!  She had a lot of anxiety about going in last year, and that seems to be gone (knock on wood).  And, as a teacher, I love to see my kid excited about school!

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Now, I have to I brag about her for a minute. I feel like I haven't done it in a while! We were waiting outside for her teacher and she was running around with another little girl. They both started peeking through the glass doors and saw some older kids walk by. The little girl said, "Those are big graders" (so freaking cute). Mairead said, "Big graders? What's big graders?" I said, "those are older kids. They are 8." She said, "Oh, I am four." The little girl said, "Me, too!" Mairead said, "Me three!"

Can I just point out what happened here? 1- she did NOT freak out about going to school. 2- she asked a logical question as a follow up to something another child said. 3- she had a (sort of) back and forth conversation with another child her own age. Halle-freakin-lujah! I can't even tell you how huge this is.

THEN- I go to pick her up and we ran into a friend of mine, whom Mairead has never met. The friend said, "Hi Mairead. How was school?" Mairead looked up at her and said, "Good." Cue me falling over in disbelief. I was so proud and happy. These are little things and may not seem important since other kids do this every day, but to me? These are little miracles all happening at one time.

THEN- my dad comes home from work and asks what she did at school. SHE TOLD HIM. She told him 3-4 things that she did at school. This has NEVER happened before.

She just had a banner day today. She was so "on." There are some days that I feel so disconnected from her, like we are on two different planes (the spatial ones, not the ones that fly), but today, she was really "there," you know? It was awesome.  Here's hoping I see more of the kid I saw today, especially since she starts taking the bus tomorrow!

She has been doing other great things, too.  She is always trying to help me around the house, saying, "I can help you!" about whatever it is I am doing.  She has been talking so much more, and it seems easier for her, too.  Today, she came downstairs and said, "I peed, then I washed my hands and dry them.  Then, I brush my teeth and have the cup and spit it out!"  It's great to see her gaining independence, and to hear her tell me about what she can do!

I hope that the rest of the school year goes as well as her first two days did!

Salem Willows

On Monday, Dave stayed home to clean up after Hurricane Irene while my mom, the kids and I headed to Salem Willows to meet up with Katie and Lily.  My dad works near the park and my parents used to take us there when we were little.  We would visit my dad's office and then hang out at the park to play arcade games and go on the kiddie rides.  Now, my dad's four grandchildren enjoyed those same games and rides and then visited Grampy at the courthouse.

The boys loved the games where they could throw things.  This one had real basketballs and you could keep shooting over and over, as long as you had lots of quarters.  Jack was insisting on "more quarters?  More quarters, Mommy?"

The rides included the flying horses, some cars, and these boats.  These are cell phone pictures so I apologize for the quality.  Katie and I both ended up with dead camera batteries that day!  Mairead loved taking her brothers for a little boat ride!

While we were waiting for our lunch, Jack was exploring and came running, yelling, "I found Bob the Builder!  I found it!"  He was SO excited about his discovery and he was so proud to go in the truck.  He kept that serious expression throughout all the rides, though.  On one ride, the cars had very loud and very annoying horns.  The kids behind Jack and Ben pressed them incessantly so Jack kept turning around with a very stern, "Stop that.  Stop that now!"

The kids are getting better about holding hands while we are out.  It sometimes involves Mairead dragging a boy by the arm, but they are getting the idea.

The grandchildren, from oldest to youngest!

A warning- if you see my children playing skee ball, stand at least 15 feet away.  They loved it, but their aim is not so great, so skee balls were flying and rolling everywhere!  They had a great time, though.  Little known fact- my mom is a skee ball all star... they will have to take some lessons!

This is a picture of which Mairead was VERY proud, so she asked me to take a picture of it.  Not bad, right?

And now for something that makes me a little sad.  I took Mairead for a 'back to school haircut' the other day.  This is the 'before.'  It was so long that it was always snarly, it took forever to shampoo, and it always looked messy.

This is the 'after.'  Not a great picture of her, but you get the idea.  I am SO sad about it and totally regret my decision to cut it so short.  I thought it would look neater and be more manageable, but I just don't think it looks like 'her,' you know?  Her hair grows quickly so I hope it is long again soon... I miss those long locks and want them back!

This is the outfit she wore to the 'Meet the Teacher' open house at her preschool.  She had already met the teacher since is the same one from last year.  Pre-K is for four year olds and for 3 year olds on IEPs, so Mairead will be joined by a whole new group of 4 year olds this year.  She was nervous about going in, but was SO happy to see Mrs. M.  She ran to her and jumped up and down.  She was able to show me all the important parts of the classroom and spent some time playing and coloring.  I am nervous about the school year and about how everything will go for her.  We still don't have the IEP that she really needs, so we will have to keep fighting for that.  And, I know there will be a lot of challenges for Mairead, even though she will be in a familiar classroom.  She has a lot of anxiety about going to school and transitions are tough for her.  And this year, she will be taking the bus to and from school, which will probably be a source of stress at the beginning.  I am home, of course, and could drive her, but I just don't think it's fair to the boys to have to load them up and have them sit there while I take her, and then I would have to wake them from their naps to go pick her up.  I have to do what is best for all of the kids, not just for one, and the bus seems the best option.  Hopefully, it will work out well for her.

The boys will be going to 'school' soon, too!  We were lucky enough to find them spots in a child-only playgroup at the Anne Sullivan Early Intervention Center where Mairead went and from whom all three kids received EI services.  The boys will be the 'community children' who provide typical models for the other kids in the group.  I am anxious about that, too, since the group meets from 1-3 and that is naptime for us.  My guys are serious nappers and need one every day, so I hope they are not too cranky in that time period.  I want them to have a good experience!

What this means for me is that on Mondays from 1-3 pm, I am totally on my own.  No kids.  For two hours.  Whatever shall I do with my time???

Cute story about Jack--The other day, Mairead threw a ball and it hit Jack on his bum. He said, 'Mommy, my tail hurts.' Then he told me when I tried to leave the room, "Don't leave me, Mommy. I not a big boy yet."

I am trying to teach the boys how to respond to "How old are you?". So far, I can get Jack to say, "I two," but then Ben jumps in with, "I three!"

I hope that everyone is doing well with back to school- so many of you are teachers and/or parents.  It's an exciting time for us, but a stressful time, too!  This year is especially stressful since Dave does not yet have a job offer.  We have a few things going that have our hopes up, so maybe we will have good news soon.  Please keep sending us those good thoughts and prayers!

A little late, but Happy Birthday, Rachael!

The kids called their cousin, Rachael, to wish her a happy birthday last weekend (on the day we all experienced a rare New England hurricane!) but they are pretty quiet on the phone, so here are some video birthday wishes!  Hope you had a great day, Rachael, and we hope to celebrate with you soon!

Just Four Fun

For a little while last weekend we found out what it is like to have four kids under five.  Katie and Steve took a trip to Niagra Falls so Lily stayed with us for a few days.  It was definitely interesting to watch the dynamic amongst a new four year old, two two year olds, and a 20 month old.  Mostly, the kids got along great, especially at the playground!

There were a few 'disagreements' over toys, especially since Jack and Ben can be very possessive of their toys, and since Lily is a toddler sized hoarder.  At one point, Ben told me that Lily "need to go to time out," and then later told her to "go away, Lily!"  But then as soon as Lily left, Ben was the one asking where she was, and "go see Lily?"  Mairead loves having Lily around and lately has really been trying to fulfill her job as big sister.  She always wants to help me with the boys and tries to corral them when they run off.  This may or may not involve an arm around their necks, but she tries.  She is also really into helping with housework.  She loves it if I give her a sponge and let her clean.  The other day, in fact, my mother asked her if she wanted to go in the yard and she replied, "I can't go in the yard.  I have to clean."  Well, ok then!

Today, we watched as Hurricane Irene moved through the area with heavy rain and winds.  Luckily, the storm was not too bad around here and there was minimal damage.  We never lost power and everyone is safe.  The kids even handled a whole day inside much better than I expected!

While the kids were napping today, I was able to work on sorting and tagging items to be sold at the tag sale organized by my Mothers of Multiples group.  According to Facebook, lots of other MoMs were doing the same thing-- there will be tons of stuff to buy!  If you want to check it out, the event is on Saturday, September 24th from 10-1.  You can visit this link for more details.  Definitely worth a look... and a 'like' on Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/groups/nvmomfriends/#!/BestEverythingKidsSale

Lowell Spinners

 There is a lot to love about Lowell, and one thing to love is the minor league baseball team that calls the city home.  The Lowell Spinners are the single A affliliate of the Boston Red Sox, and they play at a beautiful field across the city.  My twin mom's group plans a family outing to a game every year, so we told the kids we were going to a Red Sox game and headed over!  The kids were decked out in their Sox gear and were super excited for the game.

Jack

Ben

Someday, I will get a picture with all three kids looking at the camera and smiling.  Someday... 

If you can't read it, her shirt says, "Lowell."  Just because he doesn't play for the Sox anymore doesn't mean we can't wear the shirt to show our Lowell pride!

The kids did really well!  For kids, the game is often secondary to the promotional activities they have going on.  For example, in between innings, a man came on to the field with a border collie who would catch a frisbee no matter how far the guy threw it.  The kids LOVED that part.  There is a ton of music and some dancing and Mairead, of course, loved that.  She also loved when they did the feet stomping and hand clapping to get the crowd going.  She did watch the game, too.  After one base hit, she exclaimed, "Wow!  What a hit!"

The boys did great, too!  Their favorite part was probably when they got to eat chicken fingers and fries right out of a box at their seats.  They also liked the kids' play area where they had a chance to throw real baseballs.  It was a fun night and we will definitely go again next season!

We took the kids to Parlee Farms again the other day since they love it there and we can always get some great produce and strawberry donuts at the farm stand.  At the animal barns, Jack introduced himself to all of the animals by getting face to face with each one and saying, "Hi goat, I Jack!" Ben followed suit with "Hi sheeps, I Ben!"


On Tuesday, Mairead had a visit to her neurologist at Children's (just a regularly scheduled appointment).  He is really happy with her progress and is encouraged by how much she has shown that she can learn.  Every time we go there, I have this secret hope that he is going to give me some great revelation about why this happened or what we can do to make things easier for her, but I know that this is never going to be the case.  I have a lot of respect for her doctor and I trust him, and he keeps telling me that there is so much we (the medical community)  don't know about infant strokes and that a lot of things are still a mystery.  He believes that based on how Mairead has done in the past 18 months, she is capable of learning so much and that she will do really well.  I wish he or I had a crystal ball and that I could know that in a few years she will be doing great in school, have tons of friends, play sports, and do all the other things kids should be doing.  I have said before, though, that a visit to CHB always reminds me of how lucky I am that she is doing as well as she is.  There are so many seriously ill children there; it makes you so grateful for what you have.

On a related note, after our last visit to CHB I told you about Ella Grace, whose room was visible from the waiting room in neurology.  She had been there at our June 1, 2010 visit and was still there at our last visit in May, 2011.  I hold my breath each time I walk into the waiting room and look for her name on the windows.  The other day, her name was not there!  I am choosing to fully believe that she was able to finally go home and live a happy and healthy life with her family.

This weekend, the guys are headed to a (real) Red Sox game today and we'll all be preparing for Hurricane Irene.  The kids were a little concerned yesterday when they went out in the yard and discovered that their toys were all put away.  Hopefully, everyone will be able to stay safe and dry and the damage will be minimal.  Good luck in the storm, everyone!  Nana has informed me that "they" say we should expect to be without power for four days. Not quite sure who 'they' are, but I am guessing Fox News. In even better news, in the event of hurricane, Nana will be coming up to stay with us for the duration.  With four adults, three young children, two cats, and Nana all in the house during the storm, I really believe we could be a reality series.

Stay safe, everyone!

Horsing Around

Before we went to NY, Mairead had a very busy morning taking care of the horses in our house.  I was sitting in the first floor living room when she ran through wearing a cowboy hat. She ran into the parlor, then walked up the front stairs singing to herself.  A few minutes later, I heard her come down the back stairs and saw that she had a blanket.  She went into the parlor looking a little guilty and then told me that "Mom have to go check on the boys," which is code for "I am doing something I am probably not supposed to be doing, so don't come in htere."  Turns out that all she was doing was procuring blankets for her two horses.

She then told me, "I have a surprise for you!"  She likes to tell me that and then take my hand to lead me to the surprise.  But, she tells me "You have to close your eyes" and then checks to be sure I am not peeking.  She led me to the horses and wanted me to ride the small brown one.  I told her that I was too big so she thought about it for a moment and then told me I could have the blue (larger) horse.  The blue one is her favorite, so it was sweet to see her give it up for me.  When Ben came down, though, she jumped back on that blue one right away!  Ben came down without a hat, though, so she ran upstairs to the dress up clothes and selected one for him.  He happily obliged and hopped on the brown horse so they could ride together.

After riding, Mairead and the horses were all tuckered out, so everyone settled down for a rest.

How cute is this kid?  I love to see her imagination at work and she has been coming up with some great ways to play lately!

In other cute news, Jack has become super confident in the pool (while wearing a puddle jumper, lol) and loves to swim. Ben has been MUCH more timid (they switched personalities on this, I guess). Ben would just sit on the pool steps and not go in at all, even with me or DH. Lately, we have really been working with Ben and have succeeded in getting him in to the pool though he mostly clings to us for dear life. Today, I was in with Ben and Jack was swimming around. I told him Ben was a little scared, and this conversation ensued:


J- You scared, Ben?

B- Yeah, Jackie.

J- It's ok, Ben.

Jack then takes Ben's little hand in his own and swam alongside him. I am tearing up just thinking about it. Finally, Ben says, "Oh, thanks, Jackie" and they swam together. Seriously?  Cutest thing ever.

On Sunday, My mom's work (a hospital) had a 'friends and family day' thing and we got to go to Canobie Lake Park for free. I love free. Anyway, the kids had an awesome time! Mostly Mairead. The boys were scared on a lot of the rides, even though they were just little 'kiddie' rides.  We rode on the carousel first and they all liked that.  I was with Jack who sat stonefaced through the whole ride.  I asked, "Is this fun, Jack?"  His reply- a sober 'Yes.'  Are you having fun, Jackie? "Yes." 

They did great on rides that Dave and I could do with them. Mairead, though, loved EVERYthing. She even did the kid roller coaster with Dave and the look on her face was priceless. I  forgot my camera so I don't have pictures right now.  I did buy a disposable one (for TWELVE DOLLARS) so when I use up all the exposures, I'll get them developed and scan them in to share.  I was so mad at myself for that!  It was a really fun day, though, and Nana and Grampy came to share it with us!  Thanks, Nana, Grampy, and LGH! 


Anyway, the first ride we did was the carousel. None of the kids had done it before and when I looked at the three of them all lined up on their horses, I started to tear up (I am a nut). My parents used to take us to places like this when we were little and I thought about how everything comes full circle and I am now sharing these moments with MY kids that my parents shared with us... and my parents were with us, enjoying everything with the kids, too. It was just really special.
We have been so lucky to do so many fun things this summer even though we have REALLY cut back in our budget, and I am so grateful. We did Canobie because of my mom's work, we went to the aquarium because my super cool friend had passes for us, we went to an animal park thanks to Dave's mom, etc.  We are just so lucky to have people around us who are able and happy to help us plan fun things for the kids.

Nothing is new on the job front for Dave.  We are really getting anxious now since school starts for most places in about two weeks. This summer has been a lot of fun, but increasingly stressful as August wanes away.  I just have to believe that someone will want to hire him in the next two weeks- the alternative is just too upsetting to consider.  We will keep you posted on that!